The 8 People to Cross Off Your Wedding Guest List Right Now

If you're eager to get your guest list down to a reasonable and affordable number, there are a few techniques you can use to do this quickly — sans drama. To help you get started, here are eight people you can easily cross off your wedding guest list and why they should not be invited to your big celebration in the first place.

1. MIA Family Members

If you haven't spoken to some of your relatives in years, don't feel obligated to invite them to your wedding. Remember, your wedding is a celebration for you and the person you're marrying — and your immediate family; it's not a family reunion. Don't feel required to extend an invite to everyone in your family tree.

2. Friends That You Haven't Heard From in Years

If you're hoping to rectify some of your friendships with people that you have grown apart from or no longer speak to frequently, you may have a desire to invite them to your wedding to make this happen. But your wedding will be a day and night that you are incredibly busy and have many guests to say hello to and talk to. Your wedding is not the best place to fix friendships.

3. Work Friends

Just because you share a cubicle area with a person at work or you eat lunch with them on occasion doesn't mean they have to make your guest list — especially if you're keeping your wedding small. Instead, plan a work happy hour to celebrate.

4. Wedding Invites from Long Ago

If you have anyone on your guest list that you are inviting just because they invited you to their wedding years ago, do yourself a favor and cross them off. Unless they are still good friends of yours, there is no obligation to invite them to your celebration.

5. Neighbors

They may live next to you, but your close proximity doesn't equal you buying them dinner on your big day. Unless you're super friendly with them on the regular, don't feel obligated. If you feel like it may get awkward not to invite them or you feel you need to acknowledge the elephant in the room in passing, just inform them that you wanted to keep the celebration small.

6. Friends With a Track Record

If you have a friend that is infamous as an unruly wedding guest — or is always getting kicked out of bars and clubs, you may want to consider cutting them from your list. If they're a non-negotiable on the invite list, make sure to have a discussion with them pre-wedding for some ground rules (or just hire extra security who can swoop in if assistance is needed).

7. Kids of Family and Friends

A quick way to minimize your guest list is to make your wedding adults-only. You'll have to break the news gently to the moms and dads in your crew, but if anything, they may look to your wedding as a time when they can kick up their heels and enjoy a kid-free night.

8. Plus Ones You've Never Met

You don't have to give any of your guests a plus one who aren't in a relationship. And if they are — and you've never met the person — you shouldn't feel obligated, unless, of course, it's your BFF's boyfriend who lives across the country and logistics are the only reason for the lack of meeting.